Olszewski’s no underdog
Patriots rookie always believed he would make it to NFL
FOXBORO – His rare first name is cool to shout from the top of the mountain. Gunner.
His football story – one that started deep in the heart of Texas, continued in the state with the nickname “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, and now features a locker that was assigned two spots away from Tom Brady – is filled with fascinating feel-good moments.
Just don’t say that Gunner Olszewski epitomizes the characteristics typically found in a feel-good, odds-defining story.
To those who know Gunner best, the fact he played Division II college football at Bemidji State is part of the equation. It’s not part of some fabricated lore that’s par for the course when propping up undrafted players who seemingly come out of nowhere to make the 53-man roster for the New England Patriots.
“Everyone who doesn’t know him can say he’s an underdog. To the people who know him, they would have told you he was going to make it. This guy has never been an underdog,” proclaimed Mike Bass, athletic director at Alvin (Tex.) High School, where Olszewski attended. “Given the right opportunity, he was going to be successful regardless the level of competition.”
Just who is Olszewski? For starters, he’s a Patriot who started out wearing No. 72 during OTAs, then switched to No. 9 for preseason games. Now he wears No. 80, a number made famous by Troy Brown, lauded as one of the best receivers in New England history. (Brown, who was a regular helper during training camp, gave Olszewski his blessing to wear No. 80.)
In many ways, swapping one number for another, and then another, sums up Olszewski perfectly. It’s about never settling. You’re always striving. In an effort to become better educated about the 22-year-old, those from Olszewski’s past and present helped to bring clarity to someone where the only obvious conclusion was drawn.
You can’t help but root for Gunner.
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The Alvin High community and all of Brazoria County is excited for Olszewski. Reached a few hours before Alvin hosted a football game on Friday night, Bass noted the plan was to feature a tribute to Olszewski on the stadium’s video board.
“To see a young man achieve a goal that he’s had from Day 1 – to make arguably the most elite team in the history in the NFL – is amazing,” said Bass.
In high school, Olszewski separated himself from his peers by abiding by the three D’s.
“His desire, discipline, and dedication always allowed him to give his very best and he did. He wanted to be the first person in the locker room, the first person on the field for practice, the first person to win the sprint, and the first person to complete the workout,” said Bass. “People thought he was undersized, but sometimes it’s hard to measure the size of a man’s heart. His was as big as the state of Texas.”
Listed as six feet and 190 pounds, Olszewski was aided by strong parental support from his father Eric, who toiled for six seasons as a righthanded pitcher in the Atlanta Braves’ minor-league system, and mother Collette.
“Whether it was junior high to youth football to high school sports, they were at every event to support him,” said Bass. “The family lived out in the country and woke up in the morning ready to do outdoor activities like climbing trees. Gunner also grew up with two brothers. That also helped him become familiar with a winning persona.”
For Alvin High, Olszewski played both sides of the ball and contributed on special teams.
“He was mainly a defensive player … filling that ally and striking without provocation and doing it over and over again,” said Bass, “but he had the ability to go over on the offensive side of the ball and run reverses. I believe his junior year, he ran back three punts for touchdowns.”
When the time came to select a college, Olszewski, “believed in his God-given abilities and knew they could take him to the highest possible level,” said Bass. “If he lined up for the 40-yard dash, he’s not going to be the fastest on the field. What he possesses is football speed and football knowledge. You put those together and what you have is the fastest person on that football field.”
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Bemidji State head coach Bret Bolte had Olszewski on his radar after Olszewski sent a highlight reel to the Minnesota-based college.
“His film was great, but you’re talking about an undersized kid from a small-town Texas school,” said Bolte. “He visited us and loved the school. When he walked in the door, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, he looks like a 12 year old.’ He was wearing cowboy boots and tattered blue jeans.
“It was a no-brainer once we got to meet him,” Bolte added. “It ended up being a great fit for the player and the school.”
Olszewski’s desire to compete as a freshman at Bemidji State was evident during the summer leading into his first year with the Beavers.
“The conclusion from so many guys on the team was that he was so good and worked so hard. I didn’t think he would be an opening day starter at cornerback for us, but he beat everyone out,” said Bolte. “The rest is history. He never looked back.”
A first team all-conference defensive selection in each of his four years, Olszewski had a strong desire to return punts for the only college football program in the country that truly believed in him. It’s always a Catch-22 to entrust one of your most essential players with a pivotal role on special teams. To Bolte, playing the cautious game with Olszewski was non-negotiable.
In his four years with the Beavers, Olszewski returned 69 punts and 11 kickoffs.
“He just didn’t give a hoot. He wanted to take every rep he possible could,” said Bolte. “It’s certainly nerve-racking, but he was so fearless with his returns that his body didn’t care.”
A scout from the Kansas City Chiefs with ties to BSU brought up Olszewski’s name to Bolte during Olszewski’s sophomore year. True to form, the Patriots looked at Olszewski through a different prism than the rest of the competition.
“The Patriots were the only ones who were willing to give him an opportunity on offense. Mostly everyone looked at Gunner as a dime or nickel cornerback who also returned punts,” said Bolte. “My general message to a lot of the NFL teams was to make sure to dot your I’s and cross your T’s. He’s going to make it.”
The 2019 pro day that Olszewski attended at the University of Minnesota solidified his status as a legit NFL prospect – someone who might not necessarily get drafted but could roll the dice by coming aboard and spend the spring and summer before the outcome was solidified.
“He outperformed a lot of Division I kids,” said Bolte. “That’s when he truly blew up.”
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When Olszewski hooked on with the Patriots, Bolte thought the bar should be set where his former star ends up earning a spot on the 10-player practice squad before embarking on the next step, i.e. working his way up the depth chart.
In training camp, the learning curve was accelerated. Olszewski emerging as a valuable commodity due to being one of the few New England wideouts who was both healthy and available. The option of blending in wasn’t afforded, which in retrospect only enhanced Olszewski’s candidacy to stick around with the Patriots.
“The dominos started to fall where he got into a prime position,” said Bolte. “You saw a very good football player who’s as talented as they come.”
In an effort to break up the monotony of his own team’s training camp, Bolte staged a couple of outings at a Buffalo Wild Wings, where they watched Olszewski the New England hopeful take the field in preseason action. An estimated party of more than 100 players and coaches from Bemidji State sat together, munched on wings, and tracked Gunner’s progress on television.
“We’re not a big institution, but we definitely rallied around Gunner. It became the talk of Northern Minnesota,” said Bolte.
On cutdown day, the emotion of tracking Olszewski’s fate – from being a Patriot, to not being one, to once again becoming one – made for some anxious moments at his old college campus.
“We learned that he had been cut before going onto the practice field. We explained to the guys about the waiver process, but by the time we got back inside and started watching film, our phones started blowing up,” said Bolte. “It was definitely a wild time learning he had made the 53-man roster. I couldn’t be prouder of him. He’s quite the unique individual but he’s also a great young man.”
Asked how quickly he turned the page after his whirlwind adventure on cutdown day, Olszewski without hesitation replied, “roughly 10 minutes after.”
As Gunner Olszewski prepares for his first NFL regular season game on Sunday night, he does so with the full backing of the New England locker room. No one inside there sees him as something that resembles the popular fairytale The Little Engine That Could, hence neither should we.
“I think the thing with Gunner is that he’s come in here and worked really hard. He hasn’t cared where he was from. Every opportunity he’s received, he’s gone out there and performed,” said veteran safety Devin McCourty. “Obviously you guys [in the media] have gotten to see it on gamedays, but whether it was special teams’ meetings, he was always locked in every day.”
Added receiver Julian Edelman, “He works hard and I’m excited for his first game.”